Page 9
History of Orange County
Towns of Goshen, Hamptonburgh and Chester
Page 9
Upon the bank of the stream which separated them from the spot to which they journeyed, under the branches of a wide spreading beach, they encamped for the night. A fire was instantly kindled beneath the tree, which, with the branches guarded them from the dampness and unhealthy dews. The horses were unloosed, their bells unstopped, and turned out to graze for the night. The cattle were permitted to lake care of themselves in the same way. The men having seen rattle snakes and other reptiles of various kinds during the day, judged it prudent to spread their couches for the night upon the boughs of trees placed upon sticks, laid upon crotches driven into the ground. This arrangement kept them up from the earth, and made them easier to rest on by a little sag and elasticity. The fatigue of the journey and the unusual excitement for several previous days, soon induced sleep, which apparently wrapped them all in forgetfulness. The scream of the panther and the more distant howl of the wolf-dog, as they prowled around the place of encampment, broke not the slumbers of the white men. The solemn tones of the bells of the animals, as they wandered and grazed along the lonely banks of the Otterkill, were alike ineffectual and noiseless. They slept hard and irregular, as if in the struggles of death, or pressed down by an incubus, heavy as the hills of Wawayanda. Not so with Sarah and the Indians. The latter now safe at home, along their native streams and vallies, threw themselves upon the ground with their feet to the fire and seemed to slumber the night, though they never slept. The howl of the wolf, the screech of the night owl, the murmuring whispers of the stream as it flowed past, were all heard by them, and drank in as delicious music of the forest. The slumbers of Sarah were deep and fitful by turns. At one moment in her dreams, she was seated by Madam Denn, relating the incidents of the journey, and slept as sweetly and softly as an infant in its cradle. Soon, she saw an Indian with stealthy step approach her couch; then again he was standing over her with the implements of death upraised, ready to strike the fatal blow, and the deep agony of the vision would affrighten and wake her. At such times her Indian footman was sure to quiet her fears, letting her know by speech or otherwise that he was awake, guarding her slumbers and heard her scream. Thus Sarah passed the night, alternately in her dreams, crowned with joys or haunted with terrors.
Long before the sun had risen, in the early dawn of the morning, which promised a day of unusual beauty, the members of the encampment were abroad and ready for the business of the day, which was to end their wanderings, and place some of them in a comfortable resting place. Some rekindled the fire to prepare a hasty meal, while others cut and gathered pieces of light dry wood, and in a short time launched a raft, ready for transportation across the stream. It is proper to remark, that this being the spring of the year, when streams were fullest with water, and the lands along the banks of this one overflowed-its course impeded and gorged up in places by brush and sunken timber, it was sleeper and wider than at present and not so easily forded. The workmen, with some of the Indians, passed the stream on the raft, and commenced the settlement of Wawayanda, by felling trees to erect a wigwam. Sarah was left in charge of the goods and encampment, with directions from the workmen to see that the Indians forded over the horses and cattle, and with her assistance to ferry over the goods and chattels during the day, preparatory to being carried to the wigwam when ready to receive them. This she very willingly undertook to accomplish; for in the employment, she would find relief from the unpleasant feelings which still hung around and haunted her mind. In this way all the parties were actively engaged in forwarding to completion the grand object of their mission; and before the orb of day had withdrawn his golden beams from the forest and buried them in the west, the log hut was finished and ready for the reception of Sarah and her household goods, where, with little order and much haste, they were carried and deposited. While some were thus engaged in transporting the goods, others were kindling up and renewing by frequent additions, a large and blazing fire in the centre of the building, to dry out the moisture of the green timbers, and which, at the same time, would furnish the means to procure the evening meal, made pressingly necessary by the frequent fastings of the previous days. Sarah, when she looked into her new abode, and saw the flames ascending to the very roof, and the smoke densely filling the building, and issuing in a black volume through an aperture in the top, filling the atmosphere around as with a heavy fog, she thought they were about to burn up in a moment, what they had been the whole day in erecting. But on expressing her apprehensions she was set right in the matter, and satisfied of the propriety and careful nature of the act.
On taking possession of this wigwam, a point was made by the Indians, that Sarah should enter it first, otherwise it would be an unfortunate residence for the owners. As this act of precedence was easily performed by her, and was to be ominous of good to herself and patrons, she respectfully acquiesced in the arrangement, and entered the dwelling before any of the goods were deposited. The wildest superstition may have had something to do with this novel idea but no, matter at this day, the act was an indirect appeal at least to. One, who could bless this humble cot of the forest, with its cruise of oil, and all who fed from it. We honor the act, and while we record it, we are not ashamed to acknowledge that it gently and agreeably touches our feelings.
The comforts of the dogs, those faithful creatures, were not a forgotten, for the Indians put up a kennel for them adjoining the cabin. Wonderful is the instinct, fidelity and kindness of this animal! He dies of love for his master, what true lover can do more?