Deerfield:1703

D

Charles Reznikoff

Charles Reznikoff

Before the break of day the minister was awakened

by the sound of hatchets

breaking open the door and windows.

He ran towards the door:

about twenty Indians with painted faces

were coming into the house

howling.

Three Indians took hold of him,

and bound him as he stood in his night-shirt,

and began to rifle the house going into every room.

As he lay, bound and helpless, he thought of his wife and

children—

his wife had given birth only a few weeks before—

and he remembered the passage in Isaiah:

“I shall go to the gates of the grave

deprived of the rest of my years. . .”

The Indians had taken two of his children to the door

and killed them,

as well as the Negro woman

who helped take care of them;

keeping him bound with the cord about one arm,

they let him put on his clothes with the other;

and let his wife dress herself, too,

as well as their children left alive.

When the sun was an hour high

all were led out of the house

for the journey of three hundred miles to Quebec—

snow up to their knees.

Many of the houses were now on fire;

and, as they left the town,

he saw his house and barn burning.

At first the minister was not allowed to speak to any of his

fellow captives

as they marched,

but on the second day he had another Indian to watch him

and was allowed to speak with his wife when he overtook her

and could walk with her and help her along.

She told him that she was losing her strength

and they must expect to part

and she hoped that God would keep him alive and their children

still among the living—

but not a word of complaint

saying that it was the will of God.

When they came to a small river

the captives had to wade it;

the water knee-deep

and the current swift.

After that they had to climb a hill,

almost a mountain,

and the minister’s strength was almost gone when he came to

the top;

but he was not allowed to sit down

and even unburdened of his pack.

He begged the Indian in charge of him

to let him go down and help his wife

but the man would not let him;

and he asked each of the captives as they passed

about her;

and heard at last that in going through the river

she fell

and plunged headfirst into the water;

and, after that, at the foot of the hill

the Indian who held her captive

killed her

with one stroke of his hatchet

and left the body

as meat for the fowls and beasts.

47

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