Article XXV.
A Notable Exploit; wherein Dux Fcemina Fadi ("A Woman Guides the Venture")
On March 15, 1697, the Salvages made a Descent upon the
Skirts of Haverhill, Murdering and Captivating 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) to get away as fast as they could, unto some Garrison in
the Town, he went in, to inform his Wife of the horrible Dis-
tress come upon them. E'er 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 dy with them all. A party of Indians came up
with him; and now, though they Fired at him, and he Fired
at them, yet he manfully kept at the Reer 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 to Rise
Immediately. Full of Astonishment, she did so; and sitting
down in the Chimney with an Heart full of most fearful Ex-
pectation, she saw the Raging Dragons riffle all that they
could carry away, and set the House on Fire. About Nine-
teen or Twenty Indians now led these away, with about Half
a Score other English Captives; but e'er they had gone many
Steps, they dash'd out the Brains of the Infant, against a Tree;
and several of the other Captives, as they began to Tire in the
sad Journey, were soon sent unto their Long Home; the Sal-
vages would presently bury their Hatchets in their Brains,
and leave their Carcases on the Ground for Birds and Beasts
to feed upon. However, Dustan (with her Nurse), notwith-
standing her present Condition, Travelled that Night, about a
Dozen MUes, and then kept up with their New Masters in a
long Travel of an Hundred and Fifty Miles, more or less,
within a few Days Ensuing, without any sensible Damage, in
their Health, from the Hardships of their Travel, their Lodging,
their Diet, and their many other Difficulties.
These Two poor Women were now in the Hands of those,
whose Tender Mercies are Cruelties; but the Good God, who
hath all Hearts in His own Hands, heard the Sighs of these
Prisoners, and gave them to find unexpected Favour from the
Master, who laid claim unto them. That Indian Family con-
sisted of Twelve Persons; Two Stout men. Three Women, and
Seven Children ; and for the Shame of many an English Family,
that has the Character of Prayerless upon it, I must now Pub-
lish what these poor Women assure me: 'Tis this; In Obedi-
ence to the Instructions which the French have given them,
they would have Prayers in their Family, no less than Thrice
Every Day; in the Morning, at Noon, and in the Evening;
nor would they ordinarily let their Children Eat or Sleep,
without first saying their Prayers. Indeed these Idolaters
were like the rest of their whiter Brethren, Persecutors; and
would not endure, that these poor Women should Retire to
their English Prayers, if they could hinder them. Neverthe-
less, the poor Women had nothing but fervent Prayers, to make
their Lives Comfortable, or Tolerable; and by being daily
sent out, upon Business, they had Opportunities together and
asunder, to do like another Hannah, in Pouring out their Souls
before the Lord: Nor did their praying Friends among our
selves, forbear to Pour out Supplications for them. Now,
they could not observe it without some wonder, that their
Indian Master, sometimes, when he saw them Dejected, would
say unto them, "What need you Trouble your self? If your
God will have you delivered, you shall be so!" And it seems,
our God would have it so to be. This Indian Family was now
Travelling with these Two Captive Women, (and an English
youth, taken from Worcester, a year and half before,) unto a
Rendezvouz of Salvages, which they call, a Town, some where
beyond Penacook; and they still told these poor Women, that
when they came to this Town, they must be Stript, and
Scourg'd, and run the Gantlet through the whole Army of
Indians. They said, This was the Fashion, when the Cap-
tives first came to a Town ; and they derided some of the Faint-
hearted English, which, they said, fainted and swoon'd away
under the Torments of this Discipline. But on April 30, While
they were yet, it may be, about an Hundred and Fifty Miles
from the Indian Town, a little before Break of Day, when the
whole Crew was in a Dead Sleep; (Reader, see if it prove not
So !) one of these Women took up a Resolution, to imitate the
Action of Jael upon Sisera;^ and being where she had not
her own Life secured by any Law unto her, she thought she
was not Forbidden by any Law to take away the Life of the
Murderers, by whom her Child had been butchered. She
heartened the Nurse, and the Youth, to assist her in this En-
terprize; and all furnishing themselves with Hatchets for the
purpose, they struck such Home Blows, upon the Heads of
their Sleeping Oppressors, that e'er they could any of them
Struggle into any Effectual Resistance, at the Feet of these
poor Prisoners, they how^d, they fell, they lay down : at their
feet they bowed, they fell; where they bowed, there they fell
down Dead} Only one Squaw escaped sorely wounded
from them, in the Dark; and one Boy, whom they Reserved
Asleep, intending to bring him away with them, suddenly
wak'd, and skuttled away from this Desolation. But cutting
off the Scalps of the Ten Wretches, they came off, and Received
Fifty Pounds from the General Assembly of the Province, as a
Recompence of their Action; besides which they Received
many presents of Congratulation from their more private
Friends; but none gave 'em a greater Tast of Bounty than
Colonel Nicholson, the Governour of Maryland,^ who hear-
ing of their Action, sent 'em a very generous Token of his
Favour.