History of the War with Indian Savages, Article 25
ARTICLE. XXV. A Notable Exploit; wherein, Dux Faemina Facti.
ON March 15. 1697. the Salvages made a Deſcent upon the Skirts of Haverhil, Murdering and Captiving about Thirty Nine Perſons, and Burning about Half a Dozen Houſes. In this Broil, one Hannah Duſtan, having lain in about a Week, attended with her Nurſe, Mary Neff, a Widow, a Body of Terrible Indians drew near unto the Houſe, where ſhe lay, with Deſigns to carry on their Bloody Devaſtations. Her Husband, haſtened from his Employments abroad, unto the Relief of his Diſtreſſed Family; and firſt bidding Seven of his Eight Children (which were from Two to Seventeen years of Age) to get away as faſt as they could, unto ſome Garriſon in the Town, he went in, to inform his Wife, of the horrible Diſtreſs come upon them, E're ſhe could get up, the fierce Indians were got ſo near, that utterly deſpairing to do her any Service, he ran out after his Children; Reſolving, that on the Horſe, which he had with him, he would Ride away with That, which he ſhould in this Extremity, find his Affections to pitch moſt upon, and leave the Reſt, unto the care of the Divine Providence. He overtook his Children about Forty Rod from his Door; but then, ſuch was the Agony of his Parental Affections, that he found it impoſſible for him to Diſtinguiſh any one of them from the reſt; wherefore he took up a Courageous Reſolution to Live and Dy with them all. A party of Indians came up with him; and now, though they Fired at him, and he Fired at them, yet he manfully kept at the Reer of his Little Army of Unarmed Children, while they Marched off, with the pace of a Child of Five years old; until, by the Singular Providence of God, he arrived ſafe with them all, unto a place of Safety, about a Mile or two from his Houſe. But his Houſe muſt in the mean Time, have more diſmal Tragaedies acted at it. The Nurſe trying to Eſcape, with the New-born Infant, fell into the Hands of the Formidable Salvages; and thoſe furious Tawnies coming into the Houſe, bid poor Duſtan, to Riſe Immediately. Full of Aſtoniſhment, ſhe did ſo; and ſitting down in the Chimney, with an Heart full of moſt fearful Expectation, ſhe ſaw the Raging Dragons riffle all that they could carry away, and ſet the Houſe on Fire. About Nineteen or Twenty Indians, now led theſe away, with about Half a Score other Engliſh Captives; but e're they had gone many Steps, they daſh'd out the Brains of the Infant, againſt a Tree; and ſeveral of the other Captives, as they began to Tire in their ſad Journey, were ſoon ſent unto their Long Home; the Salvages would preſently bury their Hatchets in their Brains, and leave their Carcaſes on the Ground, for Birds and Beaſts to feed upon. However, Duſtan (with her Nurſe) notwithſtanding her preſent Condition, Travelled that Night, about a Dozen Miles; and then kept up with their New Maſters, in a long Travel of an Hundred and Fifty Miles, more or leſs, within a few Days Enſuing, without any ſenſible Damage, in their Health, from the Hard-ſhips, of their Travel, their Lodging, their Diet, and their many other Difficulties. Theſe Two poor Women, were now in the Hands of thoſe, whoſe Tender Mercies are Cruelties; but the Good God, who hath all Hearts in His own Hands, heard the Sighs of theſe Priſoners, and gave them to find unexpected Favour from the Maſter, who laid claim unto them. That Indian Family conſiſted of Twelve Perſons; Two Stout men, Three Women, and Seven Children; and for the Shame of many an Engliſh Family, that ha's the Character of, Prayerleſs, upon it, I muſt now Publiſh what theſe poor Women aſſure me: 'Tis This; In Obedience to the Inſtructions, which the French have given them, they would have Prayers in their Family, no leſs than Thrice Every Day: In the Morning, at Noon, and in the Evening; nor would they ordinarily let their Children Eat or Sleep, without firſt ſaying their Prayers. Indeed theſe Idolaters, were like the reſt of their whiter Brethren, Perſecutors; and would not endure, that theſe poor Women ſhould Retire to their Engliſh Prayers, if they could hinder them. Nevertheleſs, the poor Women, had nothing but fervent Prayers, to make their Lives Comfortable, or Tolerable; and by being daily ſent out, upon Buſineſs, they had Opportunities together and aſunder, to do like another Hannah, in Pouring out their Souls before the Lord: Nor did their praying Friends among our ſelves, forbear to Pour out Supplications for them. Now, they could not obſerve it without ſome wonder, that their Indian Maſter, ſometimes, when he ſaw them Dejected, would ſay unto them; What need you Trouble your ſelf? If your God will have you delivered, you ſhall be ſo! And it ſeems, our God would have it ſo to be. This Indian Family, was now Travelling with theſe Two Captive Women, (and an Engliſh youth, taken from Worceſter, a year and half before,) unto a Rendezvouz of Salvages, which they call, a Town, ſomewhere beyond Penacook; and they ſtill told theſe poor Women, that when they came to this Town, they muſt be Stript, and Scourg'd, and run the Gantlet through the whole Army of Indians. They ſaid, This was the Faſhion, when the Captives firſt came to a Town; and they derided ſome of the Faint hearted Engliſh, which, they ſaid, fainted and ſwooned away under the Torments of this Diſcipline. But on April. 30. While they were yet, it may be, about an Hundred and Fifty Miles from the Indian Town, a little before Break of Day, when the whole Crew was in a Dead Sleep; (Reader, ſee if it prove not So!) one of theſe Women, took up a Reſolution, to Imitate the Action of Jael upon Siſera; and being where ſhe had not her own Life ſecured by any Law unto her, ſhe thought ſhe was not Forbidden by any Law, to take away the Life of the Murderers, by whom her Child had been butchered. She heartened the Nurſe, and the Youth, to aſſiſt her in this Enterprize; and all furniſhing themſelves with Hatchets for the purpoſe, they ſtruck ſuch Home Blows, upon the Heads of their Sleeping Oppreſſors, that e're they could any of them Struggle into any Effectual Reſiſtence, at the Feet of thoſe poor Priſoners, they bowed, they fell, they lay down; at their feet they bowed, they fell; where they bowed, there they fell down Dead. Only one Squaw eſcaped ſorely wounded from them, in the Dark, and one Boy, whom they Reſerved Aſleep, intending to bring him away with them, ſuddenly wak'd, and skuttled away from this Deſolation. But cutting off the Scalps of the Ten Wretches, they came off, and Received Fifty Pounds from the General Aſſembly of the Province, as a Recompence of their Action; beſides which they Received many preſents of Congratulation from their more private Friends, but none gave 'em a greater Taſt of Bounty, than Colonel Nicholſon, the Governour of Maryland, who hearing of their Action, ſent 'em a very generous Token of his Favour.