Home / Bolton, Robert Jr. The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. I. New York: Charles F. Roper, 1881. Revised posthumous edition. / Passage

The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester (1881 revised edition, Vol. I)

Bolton, Robert Jr. The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. I. New York: Charles F. Roper, 1881. Revised posthumous edition. 303 words

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 shei • 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, considerable 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 precipitately back into their burning hovels, 'preferring to be consumed by fire than to fall by our weapons.'