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History of Orange County
Towns of Goshen, Hamptonburgh and Chester
Page 14
The result was, that they left their uneasy couch before the suit arose from his, and began to execute their determination. They made known their intention to their friends, who kindly furnished them the means for conveyance. They crossed over to the Jersey shore and with all expedition made their way by land, on horseback, through the highlands. The first day's ride brought them to the falls of the Ramapo, where they lodged in a hut for the night. Early in the morning the journey was resumed and they threaded a winding way through the vallies and among the hills and mountains of Wawayanda, till they reached what is now called Sugarloaf mountain, where there was an Indian village. There they made the necessary inquiries if any thing was known or heard of Sarah Wells, a white woman, with a party of white men and Indians, but nothing was learned of them. They rode on to Rombout's, one of the Chiefs who granted the patent, and there on inquiry they were equally unsuccessful.
From there the journey was conducted with all possible speed, with it view to reach the residence of the parents of some of the young Indians who composed the party before dark, and there spend the night, which was but a mile or two from the selected location, and then continue the search in the morning. Thinking it possible however, that the settlers might have arrived at the place of destination, and the sun still above the horizen, they concluded to take a circuit round and visit the place before putting up for the night. Approximating the Otterkill at a rift where they found it fordable, they crossed the stream, and on nearing the place of settlement were discovered by the young Indians as previously related.
Christopher Denn on concluding this explanation of his conduct and adventure, again thanked Sarah for what she had done for him and the patentees, complimented all on their expedition and success in rearing the wigwam, and presented four blankets, upon which they had ridden, to the Indians for their services to him and their kindness to Sarah.- The three, with the father of one of them, who had been to the city, received a blanket each, and they were all invited to remain and spend the night in the cabin, and enjoy the luxury of their new presents, which they cheerfully consented to do.
While Sarah continued to reside with Denn and before her marriage, the only road from there to New Windsor, was a foot path through the woods, without a solitary log cabin to cheer the traveller through that distance. The comforts and necessaries of life were few indeed, and of luxuries, there were none. The grain, of which there was very little, was pounded in a morter of some kind to be converted into bread, for they knew of no flour mill in the county. There may have been one at Peenpack, in Deerpark, but that was at a great distance, and to it, there was not even a foot path through the wilderness. The nearest known mill was at the mouth of the Fishkill, in Dutchess county; and when they had grinding done the grain was taken there. There being no roads, the grain was loaded up on horses, in bags, and transported to and from, the distance of twenty miles each way. Often and often, did this girl rise at midnight in the heart of Wawayanda, while the wild cat and wolf were still abroad, and with no guardian except a faithful dog, wind her solitary and lonely way with her sacks of grain to the “water side” at New Windsor, there leave her horse, borrow a boat and with her own young hands, paddle it and cargo to the mill, and back again to New Windsor. Here the flour was placed upon the horse, and Sarah retraced the long and weary way to her home in the forest. What female, even a servant, can say the present times are hard? It may be asked by the reader, How could she do these things? The answer is found in the following facts:
As before remarked, she was probably in the habit of transacting a market business for Denn, from Staten Island to New York in an open boat, and may have thus habituated herself to the oar. This, at least, accustomed her to the water, and robbed it of danger in her view. While at home, she was in the habit of wandering through the woods farther and farther from time to time in company with her dog, and this accustomed her to the dangers of the forest. Add to this, a mind naturally fearless of danger, with great buoyancy of spirit, bold determination and self-reliance-and all of them contributed to fit the maiden's mind to traverse the wild woods of Wawayanda by day and night, and drive her boat across the Hudson, with the practiced skill and fearless grace of the “Lady of the Lake.”
The last time she returned from mill she was belated, and when about six miles from New Windsor, the night being dark, the wolves howled so loud and close around her, that she thought herself in personal danger. To escape from them, she rode under the branches of a tree, tied her horse to one of them, and from the back of the horse mounted into the top of the tree. There she spent the night, often “wishing for the day” before the tardy sun left his eastern couch; who came at last blushing like a maiden for his long delay. This cured her of all wild adventure of the kind.
We now conclude this article of our paper by remarking, that we have made the historic narrative as brief and simple as possible, lest the reader might suppose we had drawn upon our fancy for some of its leading facts; but we assure him, in all honesty, they are literally true, as we are instructed by information which has come down to us upon a wide and deep stream of tradition, based on the statements of Sarah Wells. We could not-even in a case like this, which furnishes a large margin for our imagination and feelings to roam and wander about ad libitum-forget that we were writing veritable history and not a work of fiction.
We anticipate that many of our readers will condemn this portion of our paper, as long, tedious and personally uninteresting to them; yet they will please to allow some space for a declaration of natural affection, and the payment of a debt of gratitude, too long withheld.