Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1836 edition. Excerpt: ... STORIES OF THE REVOLUTION. THE CAPTIVE BOYS OF RENSSELAERVILLE--JOHN AND ROBERT BRICE. The parents of these children had migrated from their native country, Scotland, in the year 1774, and settled in an entire new place, twenty-two miles west of the city of Albany. At this place a few families had chosen a residence, which was then called Van Rensselaer's Patent, but now Rensselaerville. Here a few log houses were erected by the new comers--the pioneers of a population which has since magnified in wealth and numbers, beyond the most sanguine expectations of these isolated back-woodsmen. The war of the Revolation had raged with various success, for about four years, whet reports of the depredations of marauding parties, composed of Tories and Indians, in and about the precincts of Old Schoharie, reaching the hitherto unmolested society of Rensseiaer-Patent, which threw the defenceless inhabitants into fear and perplexities, as yet to them unknown. At a distance of some eight or nine miles from the home of the boys, at a place called the Beaver Dam, was a Grist Mill, where the inhabitants resorted to get their grinding done. The Beaver Dam was even then, comparatively, an old settled place; but had escaped the vigilance of the ruthless Indians, and Tories, till the affair of which we are about to give an account took place, after which they built a Fort and stood on their defence. Between the little neighborhood of the boys parents, and the first house, on the way to the Beaver Dam, was a deep woods of about six miles distance. This first house was that of Johannas Deitz, where John Brice, the eldest of the two boys was at work, helping them thresh out their wheat. This family consisted of eight persons, the old man and his wife, his son...
