have related. They first secured my father, and then rushed into the
house, and without the least resistance made prisoners of my mother,
Robert, Matthew, Betsey, the woman and her three children, and myself, and
then commenced plundering.

My two brothers, Thomas and John, being at the barn, escaped and went to
Virginia, where my grandfather Erwin then lived, as I was informed by a
Mr. Fields, who was at my house about the close of the revolutionary war.

The party that took us consisted of six Indians and four Frenchmen, who
immediately commenced plundering, as I just observed, and took what they
considered most valuable; consisting principally of bread, meal and meat.
Having taken as much provision as they could carry, they set out with
their prisoners in great haste, for fear of detection, and soon entered
the woods. On our march that day, an Indian went behind us with a whip,
with which he frequently lashed the children to make them keep up. In this
manner we travelled till dark without a mouthful of food or a drop of
water; although we had not eaten since the night before. Whenever the
little children cried for water, the Indians would make them drink urine
or go thirsty. At night they encamped in the woods without fire and
without shelter, where we were watched with the greatest vigilance.
Extremely fatigued, and very hungry, we were compelled to lie upon the
ground supperless and without a drop of water to satisfy the cravings of
our appetites. As in the day time, so the little ones were made to drink
urine in the night if they cried for water. Fatigue alone brought us a
little sleep for the refreshment of our weary limbs; and at the dawn of
day we were again started on our march in the same order that we had
proceeded on the day before. About sunrise we were halted, and the Indians
gave us a full breakfast of provision that they had brought from my
father's house. Each of us being very hungry, partook of this bounty of