History of the town of Pittsford, Vt., with biographical sketches and family records. By A.M. Caverly.

CAPTURE OF MR. CRIPPEN AND MISS COX. 161
never return. On reaching the house of John Barnes, PMr.
Crippen was offered the use of a horse and saddle, which were
accepted, and fiom thence he proceeded on horseback. As he
was passing a high rock, which may now be seen near the
northwest corner of the woods that are situated north of the
present town alms-house, a party of Indclians and one Tory*
darted out from behind the rock, seized the horse by the bridle,
pulled Mr. Crippen from the saddle and led both man and
beast around behind the rock. Detaining Mr. Crippen as a
prisoner, they cut the throat of his horse and besmeared their
hands and faces with its blood. The saddle-tree they took
with them after stripping off the leather. A short time after,
Mrs. Saraih, wife of Joshua June, and her sister, Betsey Cox,
came along, each on horseback, Mrs. June being in advance
and having her infant son John in her lap. As they were
passing the rock before mentioned, the Indians and the Tory
rushed out from behind it and attempted to capture them. Mrs.
June having a spirited horse quickly left them in the rear,
while Miss Cox was made a prisoner. The throat of her horset
was cut, after it had been wounded by a musket ball. The
bandits with their two prisoners then commenced a retreat
northward, going over Cox Mountain that they might keep
clear of the fort, going thus by a circuitous route to their camping ground about a mile east-or perhaps a little north of east
-of the site of Brandon village. The Indians, through the
influence of Stevens, released Miss Cox, and having given her
some food, they allowed her to return home, but with a caution
to proceed slowly lest, probably, that the knowledge of their
violence and their whereabout be too promptly conveyed to the
fort, and the garrison thus be enabled to fall upon them. She
started slowly for home, but had proceeded only a short distance when she saw coming towards her from the south a large,
fierce-looking Indian, fully armed; he was acting as a rear
-It is understood that there were four Indians and one Tory, the latter being
Roger Stevens, Jr.
t This horse belonged to Jonathan Rowley.
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