History of the War with Indian Savages, Article 6
ARTICLE. VI. New Aſſaults from the Indians, with ſome Remarkables of Captives taken in thoſe Aſſaults.
THE Sun, and the War, be again Returning! The year 1690. muſt begin, very Inauſpiciouſly. In February, the French, with Indians, made a Deſcent from Canada, upon a Dutch Town called Schenectada, Twenty Miles above Albany under the Government of New York; and in that Surprizing Incurſion, they killed about Sixty Perſons, whereof one was their Miniſter, and carried about Half as many into Captivity; but the People there, aſſiſted by the Maqua's, purſued them, and Recovered ſome of their Captives from them. Upon the Advice of this Miſchief in the Weſt, order was diſpatch'd unto Major Froſt, in the East, that the Towns there ſhould ſtand upon their Guard. The Major did his Duty; but they did not Theirs: They Dream't that while the Deep Snow of the Winter continued, they were Safe enough; but this prov'd as Vain as a Dream of a Dry Summer. On March 18th. the French, with Indians, being Half one, Half t'other, Half Indianized French, and Half Frenchified Indians, commanded by Monſieur Artel, and Hope-hood, fell Suddenly upon Salmon Falls, deſtroying the beſt part of the Town, with Fire and Sword. Near Thirty Perſons were Slain, and more than Fifty were led into what the Reader will by'nd by call, The worſt Captivity in the World. It would be a Long Story to tell, what a particular Share in this Calamity, fell to the Family of One Clement Short; This Honeſt Man, with his Pious Wife, and Three Children, were kill'd; and Six or Seven of their Children, were made Priſoners: the moſt of which arrived Safe to Canada, through a thouſand Hardſhips; and the moſt of theſe were with more than a Thouſand Mercies afterwards Redeemed from Canada, unto their Engliſh Friends again. But my Readers, will be ſo Reaſonable, as to Excuſe me, if I do not mention the Fate of every Family, that hath Suffered a Share in the Calamity of this grievous War; for 'tis impoſſible that I ſhould Know All that hath happened; and it would be improper for me to Write All that I know: And very little is the Advantage of having a Name Standing upon Record, only among unhappy Sufferers. About Seven Score Engliſh went out after 'em, and came up with 'em: nevertheleſs, through the Diſadvantages of their Feet by the Snow, they could make no Hand on it. Four or Five of ours were kill'd, and as many of the Enemy; but the Night put an End unto the Action. Ours took one Priſoner, a French man, who Confeſſed, that they came from Canada, where both French and Indians, were in Pay, at Ten Livers Per Month, and he particularly Declared the State of Canada. This Priſoner met with ſuch kind uſage from us, that he became a Freeman of Chriſt, and Embraced and Profeſſed the Protestant Religion. But of the Priſoners, which the Enemy took from us, there were Two which immediately met with a very Different Fate. Three Indians hotly purſued one Thomas Toogood, and One of them overtaking him, while the reſt perceiving it, ſtaid behind the Hill, he yielded himſelf a Priſoner. While the Salvage was getting Strings to bind him, he held his Gun under his Arm; which Toogood Obſerving, Suddenly pluck't it from his Friend Stark Naught, Threatening and Proteſting, that he would Shoot him down, if he made any Noiſe; and ſo, A…ay he ran with it, unto Quochecho. If my Reader be inclined now to Smile, when he thinks, how Simply poor Isgrim look'd, returning to his Mates behind the Hill, without either Gun, or Prey, or any thing but Strings, to Remember him of his own Deſerts; the Smiles will all be preſently turn'd into Tears. The Indians had now made a Priſoner of one Robert Rogers, and being on their Journey, they came to an Hill, where this man, being through his Corpulency, (for which …he was uſually Nicknamed, Robin Pork) and an Inſupportable and Intolerable Burden laid upon his Back, not ſo able to Travel as the reſt, he Abſconded. The Wretches miſſing him, immediately went in purſuit of him; and it was not long before they found his Burden caſt in the way, and the Track of his going out of the way, which they follow'd, until they found him hidden in an Hollow Tree. They Took him out, they Stript him, they beat him, and prickt him, and puſh'd him forward with their Swords, until they were got back to the Hill; and it being almoſt Night, they faſtned him to a Tree, with his Hands behind him, and made themſelves a Supper, Singing, Dancing, Roaring, and Urtering many Signs of Joy, but with Joy little enough to the poor Creature, who foreſaw, what all this Tended unto. They then cut a parcel of Wood, and bringing it into a plain place, they cut off the Top of a ſmall Red Oak Tree, Leaving the Trunk for a Stake, whereto they bound their Sacrifice. They firſt made a Great Fire near this Tree of Death, and bringing him unto it, they bid him take his Leave of his Friends; which he did in a doleful manner; no Pen, though made of an Harpies Quill, were able to deſcribe the Dolour of it! They then allow'd him a little Time, to make his Prayers, unto Heaven; which he did with an Extreme Fervency and Agony: Where-upon they bound him to the Stake, and brought the reſt of the Priſoners, with their Arms tyed each to other, ſo ſetting them round the Fire. This being done, they went behind the Fire, and thruſt it forwards upon the man, with much Laughter and Shouting; and when the Fire had burnt ſome while upon him, even till he was near Stiffled, they pull'd it again from him. They Danced about him, and at every Turn, they did with their knives, cut collops of his Fleſh, from his Naked Limbs, & throw them with his Blood into his Face. When he was Dead, they ſet his Body down upon the Glowing Coals, and left him Tyed with his Back to the Stake; where the Engliſh Army ſoon after found him. He was left for Us, to put out the Fire with our Tears!
Reader, Who ſhould be the Father of theſe Myrmidons?