Burning at Wawarsing
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Those within now made signals for Captain Pierson and his men to approach and enter. To do this the relief party were obliged to pass over an open space exposed to the shots of the enemy; but the undertaking was accomplished in perfect safety. Encouraged by this addition to their numbers, the besieged came out, and fought the Indians from behind trees, buildings, and whatever objects afforded protection, after the Indian fashion.
Captain Pierson and his men to approach and enter. To do this the relief party were obliged to pass over an open space exposed to the shots of the enemy; but the undertaking was accomplished in perfect safety. Encouraged by this addition to their numbers, the besieged came out, and fought the Indians from behind trees, buildings, and whatever objects afforded protection, after the Indian fashion. In the meantime the Indians entered the church, and amused themselves by throwing their tomahawk at the numbers, which, according to the custom of the times, were placed on the panels of the pulpit to designate the psalm or hymn to be sung. These figures served as targets to throw at. With such force were the missiles sent that two or three tomahawks were driven entirely through the panels. This injury was never repaired, but was suffered to remain as a memorial of the past. Two Indians were standing in the church-door, and Win. Badly and Conradt Bevier crept along the fence in the bush to get a shot at them. Bevier leveled his piece and pulled the trigger, but it unfortunately snapped. The Indian looked around as though he heard it. Bevier made a second attempt, and again it snapped. Badly then fired, and both ran for the fort about one-fourth of a mile away. The Indians sent some shots after them, one of the balls cutting a limb from an apple-tree under which Bevier was passing. Bodly's shot struck in the door-post, just grazing the crown of the Indian's head. Long after the war a man by the name of DeWitt was in the western part of New York and spoke with the Indian who met with so narrow an escape at the church-door. The Indian, on learning that DeWitt was from Wawarsing, enquired if he knew who it was that shot at him while standing in the church-door. DeWitt told him it was William Bodly. The Indian answered-' It was a good shot. If I ever meet that man I will treat him well.” This incident illustrates a trait in the character of a “warrior.
Towards noon, when most of the Indians were in the lower part of the town, Cornelius Bevier went to water his cattle, accompanied by Jacobus DeWitt. They had ascended the hill toward the old burying-ground, when they discovered two Indians walking directly from them in Indian file. Bevier leveled his piece and pulled the trigger, but it unfortunately snapped. The Indian looked around as though he heard it. Bevier made a second attempt, and again it snapped. Bodly fired, and both ran for the fort about one-fourth a mile away. Indians and then both men ran for the fort. In passing under an apple-tree, DeWitt stumbled and fell; just at the instant a shot from the surviving Indian passed over his head. DeWitt ever afterward felt he owed his escape to an interposition of Providence. The Indian's body was subsequently found near the place. He had put on new moccasins and other extra apparel during the period intervening between the time of his receiving the fatal wound and the moment of his death, as though preparing himself for the final change that was to transport him to the happy hunting-grounds.
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