THE TOWN OF BEDFORD. 1 1 



however, moderated towards morning, when the party set forward and 

 arrived soon after at the foot of a rocky mountain,* over which some of 

 the men had to crawl, with considerable difficulty, on their hands and 

 feet. The evening, about eight o'clock, brought them to within a few 

 miles of the enemy. Their further progress was, however, now impeded 

 by two rivers, one of which was some two hundred feet wide, and three 

 in depth. It was considered best to remain here awhile, in order to 

 refresh the men, and to make arrangements for the coming attack. 

 After a rest of a couple of hours, the party again set forward at ten 

 o'clock. It was full moon, and the night so clear — 'a winter's day 

 could not be brighter,' — that the Indian village was soon discovered at 

 a distance. It consisted of three rows of houses or huts, rangec in 

 streets, each eighty paces long, and backed by a mountain which shel- 

 tered it from the north-west wind. 



" But the Indians were as much on the alert as their enemy. They 

 soon discovered the Dutch troops, who charged forthwith, surrounding 

 the camp, sword in hand. The Indians evinced on this occasion, con- 

 siderable boldness, and made a rush once or twice to break the Dutch 

 line, and open some way for escape. But in this they failed, leaving 

 one dead and twelve prisoners in the hands of the assailants, who now 

 kept up such a brisk fire that it was impossible for any of the besieged 

 to escape. After a desperate conflict of an hour, one hundred and 

 eighty Indians lay dead on the snow outside their dwellings. Not one 

 of the survivors durst now show his face. They remained under cover, 

 discharging their arrows from behind, to the great annoyance of the 

 Dutch troops. Underhill now seeing no other way to overcome the 

 obstinate resistance of the foe, gave orders to fire their huts. The order 

 was forthwith obeyed; the wretched inmates endeavoring in every way 

 to escape from the horrid flames, but mostly without success. The 

 moment they made their appearance, they rushed or were driven precip-. 

 itately back into their burning hovels, 'preferring to be consumed by 

 fire than to fall by our weapons.' 



"In this merciless manner were butchered, as some of the Indians 

 afterwards reported, five hundred human beings. Others carry the 

 number to seven hundred; 'the Lord having collected most of our 

 enemies there to celebrate some peculiar festival.' 



"Of the whole party, no more than eight men escaped this terrible 

 slaughter by fire and sword. Three of these were badly wounded. 

 Throughout the entire carnage not one of the sufferers — man, woman, 

 or child — was heard to utter a shriek or moan. 



*Supposed Stony Hills, a mountainous ridge north of Bedford. 



