Burning at Wawarsing
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     The stone fort at Wawarsing was now the scene of active operations.  The men leaped excitedly from their beds, and, without much regard to dress, seized their guns, which were always at hand, and commenced the defense.   John Griffin was the first who fired, the shot bringing one of the sons of the forest to the ground.  Another Indian came to remove his fallen comrade, and just as he stooped over, Cornelius Vernooey gave him a charge of duck-shot that he had intended for a wild duck that came in his mill-pond.  The other savages hurried them away, and it is probable that both of them were killed.  The Indians did not fancy the reception they met with here, so they dispersed to the more defenseless parts of the neighborhood, to plunder and fire the buildings.
      Peter Vernooey lived about one-fourth of a mile south-east of the fort.  The Indians made an attack upon his house, but were bravely repulsed by the garrison, which consisted of three men.  On the first advance of the Indians, Vernooey shot one from a window in the south-east side of the house.  One of the men went into the garret, and discovered some savages behind a ledge of rocks to the north-east of the dwelling, watching for an opportunity to fire when any one came before the port-holes.  While he was preparing to shoot at them, he saw the flash of their priming-he drew his head back suddenly, and a ball just grazed his face.  An old hat hanging up in the garret, which the Indians supposed contained a man's head, was found to be full of bullet-holes.
     The conduct of the women of this household was worthy the daughters of liberty.  It appears there were three-Mrs. Peter Vernooey, and two of her relatives from Lackawack. One of them loaded the guns for the men, while the others stood with axes to guard the windows, which were fortified with blocks of hard wood.  Mrs. Vernooey had a family of small children.  They were lying in a bunk, and became very uproarious at the unusual proceedings about them; but the heroic matron addressed them in language so decided and unequivocal that they instantly became quiet.
     At Cornelius Bevier's the enemy found none to oppose them.  They entered the house, built a fire on the floor with some of the furniture, and then left the premises, taking along a colored woman and two deformed colored boys a short distance, until they supposed the flames had obtained sufficient headway, when they let them return home.  The woman and boys went to work and succeeded in saving the house.  At no time did the Indians appear to wish to kill the blacks.  This was probably because they were slaves, and no bounty was paid by the British for their scalps. The Indians regarded the Negroes as belonging to a race inferior to themselves.
     The next assault was made at Cornelius Depuy's, where a few neighbors were assembled, as the custom was, for mutual safety and defense.  The enemy advanced from the hills south-east of the house.  The person acting as commander of this little garrison gave the order not to fire until the Indians came quite near; but a lad of sixteen was too full of enthusiasm and patriotic fire to await the word of command.  He had his old Holland gun well primed, which he leveled at one of the redskins, and brought him to the ground at the first discharge.  The enemy thereupon fled.  A few shots were sent after them, with what effect is not known.
      The enemy made their next attack at the stone house of John Kettle, in the defense of which the noble conduct of  Captain Gerard Hardenburgh is deserving of particular notice.  At the time of the alarm Capt. Hardenburgh was at the house of a relative one mile east of Kettle's with six of his men.  Notwithstanding the risk, he determined to go to the relief of his countrymen.  When he came in sight of Kettle's he saw a number of Indians in advance in the road.  To offer battle with his insignificant force in the open field, would be an act of madness.
      There was no time to be lost, however, and all depended on the decision of the moment, his active and fertile mind instantly devised a stratagem that suited his purpose to perfection.  He turned aside into the woods with his little band of heroes, so that their number could not be observed by the enemy, took off his hat, shouted with all his might, and advanced towards Kettle's house.  The Indians did not know what to make of this maneuvre.  It might mean that a company of Tories had come from Newtown to their assistance, and it might be that troops were marching up from Pine Bush to the relief of the settlement; the savages took the safe course and skulked in every direction.   This gave the Captain time to reach the house.  At that moment the Indians, who had discovered the ruse, poured a shower of bullets at them; but the brave heroes escaped unhurt.  The besieged broke holes through the rear of the house with an axe, and also through the roof, for port-holes, through which they poured an effective fire upon their assailants.  Hardenburgh found the house occupied by three soldiers and a son of John Kettle.  The Indians made repeated assaults in force on this fortress, but were as often driven back with loss.  Thirteen of their number were left dead on the field.  John Kettle was at Herhonkson at the time of the attack.   Jacobus Bruyn had removed with his family over the Shawangunk mountain through fear of the Indians, and Kettle had gone up to Bruyn's premises to see that all was well.  He started to go to the fort at Pine Bush, but was met in the road by an advance-guard of the savages, and shot. His was not the only scalp the Indians secured in this expedition.



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
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