Tom Quick and the Indian Muskwink
Not long after the close of the French and Indian war, an Indian by the name of Muskwink returned to Peenpack, in the lower valley of the Neversink. He was an idle, drunken vagabond, and spent much of his time at Decker's tavern. One day Tom happened at the tavern while Muskwink was there. As was usually the case, the savage was intoxicated; but he claimed Tom's acquaintance, and asked him to drink. The latter replied with some vehemence, which brought on a war of words. The savage, with no apparent design other than to irritate Tom, began to boast of his exploits in the late war, and of his participation in the killing of Tom Quick's father. He declared that he tore the scalp from his head with his own hand; and then proceeded to give a detailed account of the whole affair, dwelling at length upon the old man's dying moments, interspersing the narration with unfeeling and irreverent remarks. As if that was not enough to arouse the demon in Tom's heart, the Indian mimicked his father's dying struggles, and even exhibited the sleeve-buttons worn by him at the time he was killed.
Muskwink returned to Peenpack, in the lower valley of the Neversink. He was an idle, drunken vagabond, and spent much of his time at Decker's tavern. One day Tom happened at the tavern while Muskwink was there. As was usually the case, the savage was intoxicated; but he claimed Tom's acquaintance, and asked him to drink. The latter replied with some vehemence, which brought on a war of words. The savage, with no apparent design other than to irritate Tom, began to boast of his exploits in the late war, and of his participation in the killing of Tom Quick's father. He declared that he tore the scalp from his head with his own hand; and then proceeded to give a detailed account of the whole affair, dwelling at length upon the old man's dying moments, interspersing the narration with unfeeling and irreverent remarks. As if that was not enough to arouse the demon in Tom's heart, the Indian mimicked his father's dying struggles, and even exhibited the sleeve-buttons worn by him at the time he was killed. Tom was unarmed. Suspended on some hooks over the fireplace, in accordance with the custom of border settlements, was a rifle. Tom walked deliberately across the room, removed the rifle from the hooks, saw that it was loaded and primed, and then cocked it. Before those present divined his purpose, or the savage could retreat or resist, Tom pointed the muzzle directly at his breast, and ordered him to leave the house. The Indian sullenly complied, and resigned himself to the guidance of Tom, who drove him into the main road leading from Kingston to Minisink. After proceeding about a mile in the direction of Carpenter's point, Tom exclaimed, “You Indian dog, you'll kill no more white men;” and pulling the trigger, shot the Indian in the back. Muskwink jumped two or three feet from the ground and fell dead. Tom then took possession of the sleeve-buttons that had belonged to his father, dragged the body near to the upturned roots of a tree, and kicking some loose dirt and leaves over it, left it there. He then returned to the tavern, replaced the gun on the hooks, and left the neighborhood. Several years afterward the Indian's bones were exhumed by Philip Decker while plowing this land, who gave them a Christian burial. It does not appear that any attempt was made to arrest Tom for the murder of Muskwink; if any such were instituted he eluded them. The frontiersmen generally applauded his action, believing the aggravating circumstances under which he acted were a full and sufficient justification.
Not long after this tragedy occurred, Tom was hunting in the vicinity of Butler's rift. As he was watching at the foot of the rift, either for wild beasts or Indians, he was rewarded by the sight of some savages, coming up the river in a canoe. The party consisted of an Indian and squaw, and three children-the youngest an infant at the breast. They were quietly passing up the stream, unaware of the presence of Tom, who lay concealed in the tall reed-grass growing upon the shore. As they approached, Tom recognized the Indian as one of those who had visited his father's house before the war, and had been engaged in several outrages on the frontier.
When they had arrived within gun-shot, Tom rose from his recumbent posture, and ordered them to come ashore. The Indian had heard of the killing of Muskwink; and when he recognized Tom, he “turned very pale,” but he dare not disobey, and approached the place where Tom stood. The latter then made some inquiries, asking them whence they came and where they were going, to all of which they made respectful answer. Tom next coolly informed the savage that he had reached his journey's end; that his tribe had murdered his father and several of his relatives during the war, and that he had sworn vengeance against his whole race. The Indian replied that it was “peace time;” that the hatchet was buried, and that therefore they were now brothers. Tom replied there could be no peace between the redskins and him; that he had sworn to kill every one that came within his power. He then shot the Indian, who jumped from the canoe into the river, where, after a few convulsive throes, he died. Then wading out to the canoe he brained the squaw with a tomahawk:-the mother, true to her instinct, essayed to fly to her youngest child after the murderous instrument had cloven through her skull. Next the two oldest children shared the fate of their mother. Tom said he had some difficulty in dispatching them, as they dodged about so, and “squawked like young crows.” When he came to the babe, and it looked up into his face and smiled, his heart failed him for a moment; but remembering if he let it live it would grow and become an Indian, he did not spare even the babe. In his old age when asked why he killed the children, his invariable reply was, “Nits make lice.”
Tom's next duty was to secrete the bodies of his victims. If the affair became known, he would incur the enmity of his own people, as they would stand in fear of some retaliatory measure from the Indians with whom they were then at peace. He brought a number of stones; then with some ropes of basswood bark he tied a stone to each of the bodies, and conveyed them one after the other to the deep water of the rift, where he sank them to the bottom. When all the bodies were thus disposed of, Tom destroyed the canoe, and no evidence of the crime remained. As soon as it was safe to do so, he related the foregoing facts to his nephew Jacob Quick, from whom the historian Quinlan received them. It is said that Tom would relate the circumstances of the affair in an exultant manner, as though he thought himself entitled to credit. The incident illustrates the extremes of cruelty and barbarity to which a person may be led by a constant brooding over wrongs, real or imaginary, and by the still more reprehensible habit of harboring thoughts of revenge.
Jacob Quick, from whom the historian Quinlan received them. It is said that Tom would relate the circumstances of the affair in an exultant manner, as though he thought himself entitled to credit. The incident illustrates the extremes of cruelty and barbarity to which a person may be led by a constant brooding over wrongs, real or imaginary, and by the still more reprehensible habit of harboring thoughts of revenge.Table of Contents