heap of the same material was then piled around him and set on fire. His two associates, Captains Ransom and Durgee, were then thrown alive into the flames, and all perished together.

One Tory, whose mother had married a second husband, butchered her with his own hand, and afterwards massacred his father-in-law, his sisters, and their infants in the cradle. Another killed his father and exterminated all his family. A third imbrued his hands in the blood of his brothers, his sisters, his brother-inlaw and his father-in-law. "These," says Eastman, were a part only of the horrors perpetrated by the loyalists and Indians at the excision of Wyoming. Other atrocities, if possible still more abominable, we leave in silence."

The forts being in their hands, they next proceeded to the devastation of the country. In doing this they called into requisition at once fire, sword, and all instruments of destruction. The crops of every description were consigned to the flames. Habitations, granaries, and buildings, the fruits of years of toil and industry, sank into barren ruins in the track of these fell demons. But," says Eastman, "who will believe that their fury, not yet satiated upon human creatures, was also wreaked upon the very beasts? That they cut out the tongues of horses and cattle, and left them to wander in the midst of those fields, lately so luxuriant, and now in desolation, seeming to enjoy the torments of their lingering death?”

Many women and children had escaped while the foe was busy dispatching their husbands and fathers. These were no less worthy of commiseration than those who had died. Dispersed and wandering in the forests as chance or fear directed their footsteps, without food,

without clothes, without guide, these defenseless fugitives suffered every degree of distress. The most robust and resolute alone escaped; the others perished, and their bodies, with those of their hapless infants, became the prey of wild beasts.

He

The father of the late Dr. Merit H. Cash, of Wawayanda, was among those who escaped this massacre. was at that time a very small boy, and his mother led him by the hand through the wilderness for days, subsisting entirely upon the berries, &c., which they found on their way, till they were at last fortunate enough to reach the Minisink settlement.

Benjamin Whittaker, with his daughter, also escaped. They had removed to Wyoming but about three years before, having previously resided on the farm now owned by Mr. William H. Mead, near Brookfield, in the present town of Wawayanda. They were in the fort at Wyoming when it surrendered, and were both saved. Brandt took her by the hair of the head with one hand and painted her face with red paint with the other, telling her that that was the mark of safety. She afterwards married William Fullerton, Jr., whose descendants were formerly large property owners in Wawayanda, and are generally known throughout Orange county. (Eager's History, p. 414.)

At the capture of the same fort, when the Indians came flocking in, the settlers threw down their arms, and with the women and children huddled in one corner expecting instant death. A little lad named John Finch, amused at the odd appearance of the Indians, laughed at them. One of them raised his tomahawk to strike him down, but Brandt interfered and ordered him to let the boy go. He afterwards found his way to Minisink. Many of his relatives for a long time

resided in the town of Mount Hope, and the village of Finchville is named after them.

A lady named Christina Wood was in one of the forts of Wyoming with her husband and family. Her husband and son were killed, and she was approached by an Indian with an uplifted tomahawk. She had an infant in her arms, and when the little innocent saw the savage approach it looked up into his face and smiled. The savage made a motion as if to make the child the first victim, seeing which the mother held it closer to her bosom. He gazed upon them for a moment, but the smile of innocence had touched his heart-the tomahawk fell by his side harmless, and he walked away and left them. She escaped, and found her way to Goshen with her child, where she afterwards died at the age of eighty-five. A survivor of the massacre, Asa A. Gore, died at Preston, Connecticut, January, 1850, aged eighty-one years and five months. His mother was one of those who escaped, and she carried him in her arms through the woods to Minisink.

Mrs. John Weeden, supposed to be the last survivor of the massacre, died in Columbia, Lorain county, Ohio, on Friday, April 13th, 1860, aged ninety-three years. Her maiden name was Martin. She and her father, mother and sister, escaped, and with a flag of truce traveled through the forest to within forty miles of the Connecticut river, where her older brother met them and then took them to Colchester. She was twelve years old at the time; was born in 1766, and married in 1798.

CHAPTER VIII.

FIRST AND SECOND INVASIONS OF THE MINISINK REGION BY BRANDT'S INDIANS AND TORIES.

On the 13th of October (1778) succeeding the Wyoming Massacre, a band of about one hundred Indians and Tories, under command of Brandt, invaded the upper, or Peenpack, neighborhood. It is needless to say that their appearance was the signal for a general panic, so fearful had been their atrocities at Wyoming and Cherry Valley, which latter place had been desolated by them shortly after the former. They surprised the family of a Mr. Westfall, among the first of their acts in Peenpack, and killed the only man that was at home at the time. Mr. Thomas Swartout and his four sons, thinking that perhaps the invaders were few in number, and more intent on plunder than actual war, resolved to defend their own house. The women were sent to the fort at Gumaer's, and the house firmly barricaded. But when the enemy appeared, their number at once convinced the little band of Spartans of the futility of defense. They fired a few times at the foe, but seeing their chances of retreat would soon be cut off, they resolved to endeavor to escape. Accordingly they all started and ran in the direction of the fort; but a bullet pierced the skull of one of the young men before they reached the shelter of the barn. One of the sons

separated from the others and ran toward the Neversink river, a half mile off. He was pursued by a detachment of the Indians, and shot while swimming the river, near the opposite shore. The old man and his two other sons kept together, and ran on as fast as they were able toward the fort. It soon became apparent to them that their efforts would be all in vain, as they were destined to be overtaken. The old man paused. "James," said he to one of his sons, "you are young and active and can save yourself. If you stay to assist me we shall all be killed. Save yourself while you can!" The young man took his father's advice, and started on with increased speed. The other son kept by the side of his father, and both were soon overtaken and tomahawked. James was closely pursued for over half a mile through brush and briers, over fences and across lots, till he at last reached the fort at Gumaer's, and the enemy had to abandon the chase.

The continued firing warned the inhabitants of the country of the approaching danger, and they at once repaired to the forts at Gumaer's and De Witt's, abandoning that at Du Puy's, as they had no troops to garrison it. The fort at Gumaer's had only nine regulars to defend it, and was but a small picket fort at best. Capt. Cuddeback, who commanded it, was aware of the influence display oftentimes made on the Indian mind, and he resolved to profit by it. He ordered all the men and women, both young and old, to the rear of the fort. Next he had all the spare guns and sticks that could be found, together with all the old hats, coats and breeches, brought forward.. The guns and sticks were placed in the hands of those who were unarmed, and the old clothes were used to change the appearance of the women. Many a blushing damsel, who two days before