Ann Eliza Bleecker

“ We all three ran to the door, and beheld a party of Indians not twenty paces from us. Struck with astonishment, we had no power to move; and the savages again firing that instant, my CHARLES dropped down dead beside me. Good God! what were my emotions! But language would fail, should I attempt to describe them. My surviving son then turning to me, with a countenance expressive of the deepest horror, urged me to fly. "Let us be gone this instant," said he; "a moment determines our fate. O my mother! you are already lost." ”

“ At length MARIA opened her eyes and burst into a violent fit of tears -Mr. KITTLE, with answering emotions, silently accompanying her; then clasping his arms endearingly round her, "It is enough, my love," said he, "we have had our night of affliction, and surely this blessed meeting is a presage of a long day of future happiness; let me kiss off those tears, and shew by your smiles that I am indeed welcome." MARIA then bending fondly forward to his bosom, replied, sighing, "Alas! how can your beggared wife give you a proper reception? ”

“ They had scarce advanced two hundred yards with their reluctant captives, when the flaming structure tumbled to the earth with a dreadful crash. Our travellers by instinct turned their eyes to the mournful blaze; and MARIA, bursting afresh into grievous lamentations, cried, "There, there my brother, my children are wrapt in arching sheets of flames, that used to be circled in my arms! they are entombed in ruins that breathed their slumbers on my bosom! yet, oh! their spotless souls even now rise from this chaos of blood and fire, and are pleading our injured cause before our God, my brother!" ”

“ Then rushing to her dead infant with redoubled cries, and clapping her hands, she laid herself over his mangled body; again softened in tears and moans, she wiped the blood from his ghastly countenance, and prest him to her heaving bosom, alternately caressing him and her trembling ANNA, who, clinging to her with bitter wailings, and kissing her hands and face, entreated her to implore the savages for mercy. "Do, my angel mamma," she urged, "do beg them yet to pity - beg them yet to save you for my poor, poor papa's sake! - Alas! if we are all killed, his heart will break! ”

“ This was no time for reflection or unavailing laments; the danger was eminent: so leaving, the savages for dead, with a mournful silence, Mr. KITTLE hastened to throw the deer from off his horse, and laid his bleeding brother across him.
When our souls are gloomy, they seem to cast a shade over the objects that surround us, and make nature correspondent to our feelings: so Mr. KITTLE thought the night fell with a deeper gloom than usual. The soft notes of evening birds seemed to be the responses of savage yells. ”

“ How did the fond parents hearts delight to see their beloved one so universally caressed! When they sauntered over the vernal fields with the little prattler wantoning before them collecting flowers and pursuing the velvet elusive butterfly, MARIA'S cheek suffusing with rapture, " Oh my dear," she would say, " we "are happier than human beings can expect to be; how trivial are the evils annexed to our situation! may God avert that our heaven be limited to this life!" ”

“ Oh! they can't be rocks and stones! Don't cry mamma, they will spare us!" Thus the little orator endeavoured to console her afflicted mother; but their melancholy endearments were soon interrupted by the relentless savages, who having plundered the house of every valuable thing that was portable, returned to MARIA, and rudely catching her arm, commanded her to follow them; but repulsing them with the boldness of despair, "Leave me, leave me," she said, "I cannot go - I never will quit my murdered child! Too cruel in your mercies', you have given me life only to prolong my miseries!" ”

“ To inforce his argument, he presented MARIA with a belt interwoven with silk and beads, saying, "There, receive my token of friendship: we go to dig up the hatchet, to sink it in the heads of your enemies; we shall guard this wood with a wall of fire you shall be safe." A warm glow of hope deepened in MARIA'S cheek at this - Then ordering wine to be brought to the friendly savages, with a smile of diffidence, "I am afraid," said she, " necessity may oblige you to abandon us, or neglect of your promise may deprive us of your protection." ”

“ KITTLE pursuing her, was intercepted by flames, the savages having fired the house. The wretched child soon discovered her deplorable situation, and almost suffocated by the smoke, with piercing cries called for help to her dear, dear mother. - Alas! what could the unhappy parent do? whole sheets of flames rolled between them, while in a phrenzy of grief she screamed out, "O my last treasure! my beloved ANNA! try to escape the devouring fire - come to me my sweet child - the Indians will not kill us - O my perishing babe! ”

“ MARIA was exempted from carrying a burden, yet she found the fatigue almost intolerable. They continually passed through a scene of conflagration, the savages firing every cottage in their way, whose mournful blaze catching the dry fields of grain, would scorch off hundreds of acres in a few moments, and form a burning path for their destroyers. As the sun advanced to his zenith, its rays beat fiercely on our travellers, augmented by the crackling flames around them ”

“ Alas! but a very few days ago I was hailed as the happiest of women - my fond husband anticipated all my desires - my children smiled round me with filial delight - my very servants paid me the homage due to an angel! - O my God! what a sudden, what a deplorable transition! I am fallen below contempt!" As she thus moralized on her situation, an English woman (whom humanity more than curiosity had drawn to the place) approached MARIA, and observing her tears and deep dejection, took hold of her hand, and endeavoured to smile ”

“ KITTLE prevail on a single person to return with him during the darkness: he felt himself strangely agitated at this disappointment, and refusing to repose himself, with great impatience he watched the first orient beam of Phosphor, which appearing, he set off for home with two wagons and a guard of three Indians. As he approached his late happy dwelling, his bosom dilated with the pleding hope of soon extricating his beloved family from danger ”

“ But at the first glance she comprehended the whole affair, and retiring a few steps, with the most exquisite agony, in her countenance, "Oh Mr. KITTLE!" she cried, clasping her hands together, "it is all over - we are betrayed - your brother is killed!" - " Too true, oh, too fatally true!" replied he, falling on his knees beside her as she sunk down, "my angel! the very savages that solemnly engaged to protect us have deprived him of life ”

“ RICHARD, my eldest, was passionately fond of books, which he studied with intense application. This naturally attached him to a sedentary life, and he became the constant instructive companion of my evening hours. My youngest son, CHARLES, was more volatile, yet not less agreeable; his person was charming, his wit sprightly, and his address elegant. They often importuned me, at the commencement of this war, to withdraw to Albany but, as I apprehended no danger, (the British troops being stationed above us, quite from Saratoga to the Lake) I ridiculed their fears. ”

“ Thirsting for revenge, and perceiving that solitude only tended to corrode his moments with the blackest melancholy, he soon after entered the British service in the capacity of gentleman volunteer, and signalized himself by his prudence and intrepidity, attracting the particular notice of his officers, who being affected with his misfortunes, proffered their services to him with so much friendship and candour, as obliged him to accept of them, and yet lightened the obligation. ”

“ KITTLE; casting his eyes around the lovely landscape, "what a profusion of sweets does Nature exhale to please her intelligent creatures! I feel my heart expand with love and gratitude to heaven- every moment, nor can I ever be grateful enough. I have health and competence, a lovely fond wife whose smile would calm the rudest storm of passion, and two infants blossoming into perfections ”

“ We must arm ourselves with patience, my brother! we can combat with fate in no other manner."
It were endless to recapitulate minutely every distress that attended the prisoners in their tedious journey; let it suffice, that having passed through uncommon misery, and imminent danger, they arrived at Montreal. Here the savages were joined by several scalping parties of their tribe, and having previously fresh painted themselves, appeared in hideous pomp, and performed a kind of triumphal entry. ”

“ The world lay all before them, where to chuse their place of rest, and Providence their guide. Ah, Eve! thought I, hadst thou been like me, solitary, maimed, and unprotected, thy situation had been deplorable indeed. Then pressing my babe to my heart, 'How quiet art thou, my angel,' (said I) 'sure - sure, Heaven has stilled thy little plaints in mercy to us.' - 'Ah'! (sobbed SOPHIA,) 'now I am comforted again that I hear my dear mamma's voice. I was afraid grief would have forever deprived me of that happiness.' And here she kissed my babe and me with vehemence. ”

“ KITTLE arose, first impressing a kiss on MARIA'S soft cheek, as she slumbered with her infant in her arms. He then awaked his brother, reminding him that he had proposed a hunting match the preceding evening. "It is true," replied PETER, but since hostilities have commenced so near us as the Indians inform, I think it rather imprudent to quit the family." - " Come, come," .replied the other, " do not let us intimidate the neighbours by cloistering ourselves up with women and children." ”

“ They were almost adored by their neighbours, and even the wild savages themselves, who often resorted thither for refreshments when hunting, expressed the greatest regard for them, and admiration of their virtues.
In little more than a year they were blessed with a daughter, the lovelier resemblance of her lovely mother: as she grew up, her graces increasing, promised a bloom and understanding equal to hers; the Indians, in particular, were extremely fond of the smiling ANNA ”

“ Observing the spotted trout, and other fish, to dart sportively across the water, she could not help exclaiming, "Happy! happy animals! you have not the fatal gift of reason to embitter your pleasures; you cannot anticipate your difficulties by apprehension, or prolong them by recollection; incapable of offending your Creator, the blessings of your existence are secured to you: Alas! I envy the meanest among ye!" A gush of tears concluded her soliloquy ”

“ Hearing likewise that a cartel was drawn for an exchange of prisoners, I sat out, flushed with hope, and with indefatigable industry and painful solicitude, arrived at Montreal, worn to a skeleton (as you see ladies) with fatigue. ”

“ WILLIS, and Madame DE R., who, hearing of his arrival, entered just then, half breathless with impatience and joy. The company increased; an elegant dinner was prepared: in short, the day was devoted to pleasure; and never was satisfaction more general - festivity glowed on every face, and complacency dimpled every cheek. ”

“ When the savages began to commit outrages on the frontier settlements, our neighbours, intimidated at their rapid approaches, erected a small fort, surrounded by a high palisade. Into this the more timorous drove their cattle at night; and one evening, as we were at supper, my husband (being ordered on guard) insisted that I should accompany him with the children (for I had two lovely girls, one turned of thirteen years, another of six months.) My SOPHIA assented to the proposal with joy. 'Mamma, (said she,) what a merry woman the Captain's wife is ”

“ Her eyes, whose brilliancy was softened through the medium of tears, for a while dwelt tenderly on his countenance. At length, with a voice scarce audible, she sighed out, "Oh papa! do not leave us; if any accident should happen to you, mamma will die of grief, and what will become, of poor ANNA and BILLY? who will care for me? who will teach me when my papa, my mamma's papa is gone?" "My sweet child," replied he, embracing her and holding her to his bosom, "there is no danger ”

“ They were persons of good natural abilities, improved by some learning; yet, conscious of a deficiency in their education, they studied nothing so much as to render their little daughter truly accomplished. ”

“ By this time the rage and tumult of the savages subsiding, the new-comers were admitted into a large wigwam, in the center of which blazed a fire. After they were seated, several young Indians entered with baskets of green maize in the ear, which, having roasted before the fire, they distributed among the company. ”

“ We were silent as death, and instantly after plainly could distinguish the voices of savages conferring together. Chilled as I was with fear, I flew to the cradle, and catching my infant, ran up into a loft. SOPHIA followed me all trembling, and panting for breath cast herself in my bosom. Hearing the Indians enter, I looked through a crevice in the floor, and saw them, with menacing looks, seat themselves round the table, and now and then address themselves to Mr. ”