Burning at Wawarsing
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The people at the fort saw an Indian going with a firebrand to set fire to a dwelling-house occupied by some of the Hornbeck family. Benjamin Hornbeck loaded one of the long Holland guns, and tried the effect of a shot upon the miscreant. The ball struck a stone on the hill, and bounded against the Indian who immediately dropped the firebrand, gave a tremendous leap, and ran like a deer for the woods. This single shot was the means of saving that house from the general conflagration of that eventful day.
Benjamin Hornbeck loaded one of the long Holland guns, and tried the effect of a shot upon the miscreant. The ball struck a stone on the hill, and bounded against the Indian who immediately dropped the firebrand, gave a tremendous leap, and ran like a deer for the woods. This single shot was the means of saving that house from the general conflagration of that eventful day. The old neighborhood of Wawarsing on that Sabbath morning must have been a scene of sublime grandeur. Thirteen substantial dwelling-houses, with their outbuildings, fourteen barns with barracks, stacks of hay and grain, and one grist-mill, were all enveloped in flames-no one being able to offer any resistance to their raging fury. The houses were stored with the articles requisite for the comforts and conveniences of civilized life-the products of the industry of many years; and the barns had just been filled with a plenteous harvest. The Indians remained all that day in the vicinity, pillaging the houses, driving off the stock, and securing whatever plunder they thought would be of service to them. Between sixty and seventy horses, most of them very fine, and a great number of cattle, sheep and hogs, were driven off. The Indians took some ground plaster as far as Grahamsville, supposing it to be flour, and attempted to make bread of it. At Esquire Hardenburgh's they fared sumptuously. They took some huckleberry pies, of which there was a goodly stock on hand, broke them up in tubs of sweet milk, and then devoured them. Had not the Indians devoted so much of their attention to plunder, they might have secured more scalps. Some of the inhabitants who had concealed themselves in the bushes along we fences, met with narrow escapee when the Indians came to drive the cattle from the fields; they threw little sticks and stones to drive the animals away from their places of concealment.
When the Indians were preparing to leave the place a personage of no ordinary rank and pretension was seen emerging from the woods into the highway near the old church. His appearance was truly imposing. He was mounted on a superb horse that had been stolen from Esquire Hardenburgh, and was arrayed in gorgeous apparel, according to Indian notions. He had silver bands about his arms, and over forty silver brooches were suspended about the person of his majesty. He was discovered by some soldiers who were watching to get a parting shot at the enemy as they were leaving the town, and one of them named Mack fired upon the chief. The latter was seen to reel in his saddle, but some other Indians turned his horse into the woods, and he was lost to view for a time. Afterwards Cornelius found his corpse in the woods near the place where he was shot, with the ornaments and trinkets still upon him. It is probable that the loss of this chief did much to intimidate the Indians and hasten their retreat.
In the course of Sunday afternoon, Capt. Pawling came up with some State troops from Hurley in time to relieve some of the inhabitants. There was a cabin in the woods situated in advance of the others, in which lived a man and his wife. At the first appearance of the foe, they fled into their castle, and gave battle to a party of savages who came up to attack them. The house was well supplied with arms, and while his wife loaded the guns he poured such a destructive fire into the midst of his foes, that they soon recoiled with loss. Baffled in their attempts to force an entrance, they collected a heap of combustibles and set fire to the premises. The savages then retired a short distance to watch the result. The man ran out with a couple of buckets, procured water, and with it extinguished the flames. The Indians ran down upon him, but not being quick enough to prevent his gaining the door, they hurled their tomahawks at his head- happily without effect. Pawling's force being augmented by Col. Cantine's troops of Rochester and those of the garrison at Wawarsing, the little army amounted to about four hundred men. They lodged at the Wawarsing stone fort Sunday night and early the next morning set out in pursuit of the enemy.
Capt. Pawling came up with some State troops from Hurley in time to relieve some of the inhabitants. There was a cabin in the woods situated in advance of the others, in which lived a man and his wife. At the first appearance of the foe, they fled into their castle, and gave battle to a party of savages who came up to attack them. The house was well supplied with arms, and while his wife loaded the guns he poured such a destructive fire into the midst of his foes, that they soon recoiled with loss. Baffled in their attempts to force an entrance, they collected a heap of combustibles and set fire to the premises. The savages then retired a short distance to watch the result. The man ran out with a couple of buckets, procured water, and with it extinguished the flames. The Indians ran down upon him, but not being quick enough to prevent his gaining the door, they hurled their tomahawks at his head- happily without effect. Pawling's force being augmented by Col. Cantine's troops of Rochester and those of the garrison at Wawarsing, the little army amounted to about four hundred men. They lodged at the Wawarsing stone fort Sunday night and early the next morning set out in pursuit of the enemy.Table of Contents