History of the War with Indian Savages, Article 7
ARTICLE. VII. The Condition of the Captives, that from time to time fell into the Hands of the Indians: with ſome very Remarkable Accidents.
WE have had Some Occaſion, and ſhall have More, to mention Captives, falling into the Hands of the Indians. We will here, without any thing worthy to be call'd A Digreſſion, a little Stand Still, and with mournful Hearts, look upon the Condition of the Captives in thoſe cruel Hands. Their Condition truly might be Expreſs'd in the Terms of the ancient Lamentations, (thus by ſome Tranſlated,) Lam 4 3. The Daughter of my People, is in the Hands of the Cruel, that are like the Oſtrich in the Wilderneſs. Truly, the Dark places of New England, where the Indians had their Unapproacheable Kennels, were Habitations of Cruelty: and no words can Sufficiently deſcribe the Cruelty undergone by our Captives in thoſe Habitations. The Cold, and Heat, and Hunger, & Wearineſs, and Mockings, and Scourgings, and Inſolencies, Endured by the Captives, would enough deſerve the Name of Cruelty; but there was this alſo added unto the reſt, that they muſt ever now and then have their Friends made a Sacrifice of Devils before their Eyes, but be afraid of dropping a Tear from thoſe Eyes, leſt it ſhould, upon that provocation, be next their own Turn, to be ſo Barbarouſly Sacrificed. Indeed ſome few of the Captives, did very happily Eſcape from their Barbarous Oppreſſors, by a Flight wiſely managed: and many more of them, were Bought by the French, who treated them with a Civility ever to be acknowledged, until care was taken to fetch 'em home. Nevertheleſs, many Scores of them Dyed among the Indians; and what uſage they had, may be gathered from the following Relations, which I have obtained from Credible Witneſſes.
RELATION. I.
JAmes Key, Son to John Key of Quochecho, was a Child of about Five years of Age, taken Captive, by the Indians at Salmon Falls; and that Helliſh Fellow, Hope-Hood, once a Servant of a Chriſtian Master in Boston, was become the Maſter of this Little Chriſtian. This Child, Lamenting with Tears the want of his Parents, his …aſter Threatened him with Death, if he did no Refrain his Tears; but theſe Threatenings could not Extinguiſh the Natural Affections of a Child. Wherefore, upon his Next Lamentations, this Monſter Stript him Stark Naked, and laſh'd both his Hands round a Tree, and Scourg'd him, ſo that from the Crown of his Head unto the Sole of his Foot, he was all over Bloody and Swollen: and when he was Tired with laying on his Blows, on the Forlorn Infant, he would lay him on the Ground, with Taunts remembring him of his Parents. In this miſery, the poor Creature lay horribly Roaring for diverſe Dayes together, while his Maſter, gratifyed with the Muſick, lay contriving of New Torments, wherewith to Martyr him. It was not long, before the Child had a Sore Eye, which his Maſter ſaid, proceeded from his Weeping on the Forbidden Accounts: Whereupon, laying Hold on the Head of the Child with his Left Hand with the Thumb of his Right, he forced the ball of his Eye quite out; therewithal telling him; That when he heard him Cry ag… he would Serve t…othe… ſo too, and leave him … an Eye to …eep witha… About Nine or Ten Day… after, his Wretch had Occaſion to Remove, with his Family, about Thirty Miles further: and when they had gone about Six Miles of the Thi…ty, the Child being Tir'd and Faint, ſat him down to reſt, at which, this Horrid Fellow, being provoked, he Buried the Blade of his Hatchet, in the Brains of the Child, and then chopt the Breathleſs Body to pieces before the reſt of the Company, & threw it into the River. But for the ſ…ke of theſe and other ſuch Truculent Things done by Hope Hood, I am Reſolved, that in the courſe of our Story, I will watch to ſee what becomes of that hideous Loup garou, if he come to his End, as I am apt to think he will, before the Story.
RELATION. II.
MEhetabel Goodwin, being a Captive among the Indians, had with her a Child about Months old; which thro' Hunger & Hardſhip, ſhe being unable to nouriſh, it often made moſt grievous Ejulations. Her Indian Maſter told her, that if the Child were not quiet, he would ſoon diſpoſe of it; which cauſed her to uſe all poſſible means, that his Netop-ſhip might not be offended; and ſometimes carry it from the Fire, out of his Hearing, where ſhe ſat up to the waſt, in Snow and Froſt, for ſeveral Hours, until it was Lull'd aſleep. She thus for ſeveral dayes preſerved the Life of her Babe, until he ſaw cauſe to Travel with his own Cabs farther afield; and then leſt he ſhould be Retarded in his Travel. He violently Snatcht the Babe out of it's Mothers Arms, and before her Face knock out its Brains, and ſtript it of the Few Rag it had hitherto Enjoy'd, and ordered her the Task, to go waſh the B…oody Cloaths. Returning from this Melancholy Task, She found the Infant hanging by the Neck, in a Forked Bough of a Tree. She deſired leave to lay it in the Earth; but he ſaid, It was better as it was, for now the Wild Beaſts would not come at it, [I am ſure, they had been at it!] and ſhe might have the Comfort of ſeeing it again, if ever they came that way. The Journey now before them, was like to be very long, even as far as Canada, where his purpoſe was to make Merchandiſe of his Captive, and glad was the Captive of ſuch happy Tidings. But the Deſperate length of the way, and want of Food, and grief of Mind, wherewith ſhe now encountred, cauſed her within a few Dayes to faint under her Difficulties. When at length, ſhe far down for ſome Repoſe, with many Prayers, and Tears unto God, for the Salvation of her Soul, ſhe found her ſelf unable to Riſe, until ſhe eſpied her Furious Executioner coming towards her, with Fire in his Eyes, the Devil in his Heart, and his Hatchet in his Hand, ready to beſtow a Mercy-Stroke of Death upon her. But then, this miſerable Creature, got on her Knees, and with Weeping and Wailing & all Expreſſions of Agony and Entreaty, prevailed on him, to ſpare her Life a little, and ſhe did not queſtion but God would enable her to Walk a little faſter. The mercileſs Tyrant was prevailed withal, to ſpare her this Time; nevertheleſs her former Weakneſs quickly Returning upon her, he was juſt going to Murder her; but a Couple of Indians, juſt at that Inſtant, coming in, ſuddenly call'd upon him to Hold his Hand; whereat ſuch an Horror Surpriſed his Guilty Soul, that he ran away. But hearing them call his Name, he Returned, and then permitted theſe his Friends, to Ranſome his priſoner from him. After this, being Seated by a River ſide, they heard ſeveral Guns go off, on the other ſide; which they concluded, was from a party of Albany Indians, who were Enemies unto theſe: whereupon this Bold Blade, would needs go in a Canoo, to diſcover what they were. They Fired upon him, and ſhot through him, and ſeveral of his Friends, before the Diſcovery could be made unto Satisfaction. But ſome Dayes after this, diverſe of his Friends, gathered a party to Revenge his Death, on their Suppoſed Enemies; with whom they joined Battel, and fought ſeveral Hours, until their Suppoſed Enemies, did Really put 'em to the Rout. Among the Captives, which they left in their Fight, one was this poor Goodwin, who was Over joyed in ſeeing her ſelf thus at Liberty; but the Joy did not laſt long, for theſe Indians were of the Same Sort with the other, and had been by their own Friends, thus through a ſtrange Miſtake ſet upon. However, this crue, proved more Favourable to her, than the former, and went away Silently with their Booty, being loth to have any Noiſe made of their foul Miſtake. And yet, a few Dayes after, ſuch an other Miſtake happened; for, meeting with another party of Indians, which they imagined in the Engliſh Interests, they furiouſly engaged each other, and many were killed and wounded on either ſide: but they proved a party of the French Indians, who took this poor Goodwin, and preſented her to the French Captain, by whom ſhe was carried unto Canada; where ſhe continued Five years, & then was brought ſafe Back into New-England.
RELATION. III.
MAry Plaisted, the Wife of Mr. James Plaiſted, was made a Captive by the Indians, about Three Weeks, after her Delivery of a Male Child. They then Took her, with her Infant, off her Bed, and forced her to Travel in this her Weakneſs, the beſt part of a Day, without any Reſpect or Pitty. At Night, the Cold Ground, in the Open Air, was her Lodging; and for many a Day, ſhe had no Nouriſhment, but a little Water, with a little Bears-fleſh: which rendred her ſo feeble, that ſhe, with her Infant, were not far from totally Starved. Upon her Cries to God, there was at length, ſome Supply ſent in, by her Maſters taking a Mooſe, the Broath whereof Recovered her. But ſhe muſt now Travel, many Dayes, thro' Woods, and Swamps, and Rocks, and over Mountains, and Froſt and Snow, until ſhe could ſtir no farther. Sitting down to Reſt, ſhe was not able to Riſe, until her Diabolical Maſter help'd her up; which when he did, he took her Child from her, and carried it unto a River, where ſtripping it of the few Rags it had, he took it by the Heels, and againſt a Tree daſh'd out its Brains, and then flang it into the River. So he Returned unto the miſerable Mother, telling her, She was now eaſed of her Burden, and must walk faſter than ſhe did before!
RELATION. IV.
MAry Ferguſon, taken Captive by the Indians at Sa…mon Falls, declares, that another Maid, of about Fifteen or Sixteen years of Age, taken at the ſame Time, had a Great Burden Impoſed on her. Being over born with her Burden, ſhe burſt out into Tears telling her Indian Maſter, That ſhe could go no further. Whereupon he immediately took off her Burden, and leading her aſide into the Buſhes, he cut off her Head, and Scalping it, he ran about Laughing and B…agging, what an Act he had now done and ſhowing the Scalp unto the reſt, he told them, They ſhould all be Served ſo; if they were not patient.
In fine; when the Children of the Engliſh Captives Cryed at any Time, ſo that the were not preſently quieted, the manner of the Indians was, to daſh out their Brains againſt a Tree.
And very often, when the Indians were on, or near the Water, they took the Small Childre…, and held 'em under Water, till they had near Drowned them; and then gave 'em unto their Diſtreſſed Mothers to quiet 'em.
And the Indians in their …rolicks, would Whip and Beat the Small Children, until they ſet 'em into grievous out cryes, and then throw 'em to their Amazed Mothers, for them to quiet 'em again, as well as they could.
This was Indian Captivity!
Reader, A Modern Traveller aſſures us, that at the Villa Ludoviſia, not far from Rome, t…e…e is to be ſeen the Body of a Petrified Man; and that he himſelf ſaw, by a piece of the mans Leg, Broken for Sati…action both the Bone, and the Stone Cruſted over it. All that I will ſay, is, That if thou canſt Read theſe paſſages without Relenting Bowels, thou thy ſelf art as really Petrified, as the man at Villa Ludoviſia.
Neſcio tu quibus es, Lector, Lecturus Ocellis;
Hoc Scio quod Siccis Scribere non potui.