N00725:187
Decennium luctuosum. An history of remarkable occurrences, in the long war, which New-England hath…
Decennium luctuosum. An history of remarkable occurrences, in the long war, which New-England hath had with the Indian savages, from the year, 1688. To the year 1698. / Faithfully composed and improved. ; [One line of quotation in Latin]
printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1699
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
ARTICLE. XXV. A Notable Exploit; wherein, Dux Faemina Facti.
ON March 15. 1697. the Salvages made a Descent upon the Skirts of Haverhil, Murdering and Captiving about Thirty Nine Persons, and Burning about Half a Dozen Houses. In this Broil, one Hannah Dustan, having lain in about a Week, attended with her Nurse, Mary Neff, a Widow, a Body of Terrible Indians drew near unto the House, where she lay, with Designs to carry on their Bloody Devastations. Her Husband, hastened from his Employments abroad, unto the Relief of his Distressed Family; and first bidding Seven of his Eight Children (which were from Two to Seventeen years of Age) ⟨p. 139⟩to get away as fast as they could, unto some Garrison in the Town, he went in, to inform his Wife, of the horrible Distress come upon them. Ere she could get up, the fierce Indians were got so near, that utterly despairing to do her any Service, he ran out after his Children; Resolving, that on the Horse, which he had with him, he would Ride away with That ▪ which he should in this Extremity, find his Affections to pitch most upon, and leave the Rest, unto the care of the Divine Providence. He overtook his Children about Forty Rod from his Door; but then, such was the Agony of his Parental Affections, that he found it impossible for him to Distinguish any one of them from the rest; wherefore he took up a Courageous Resolution to Live and Die with them all. A party of […] with him; and now, though they Fired •t him, and he Fired at them, yet he manfully kept at the Rear of his Little Army of Unarmed Children, while they Marched off, with the pace of a Child of Five years old; until, by the Singular Providence of God, he arrived safe with them all, unto a place of Safety, about a Mile or two from his House. But his House must in the mean Time, have more dismal Tragedies acted at it. The Nurse trying to Escape, with the New-born Infant, fell into the Hands of the Formidable Salvages; and those furious Tawnies coming into the House, bid poor Dustan,