Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/117

DELAWARE COUNTY. 93 the inhabitants gathered into the hlock-houseS; which were not assaulted. James Swartwout^ whose father and brothers were killed the preceding year, as stated in the note, again escaped nar- rowly. He was in a blacksmith's shop with a negro, when he discovered the Indians close at hand. He at once crept up the chimney of the shop, while the negro remained below, not fearing the savages, and knowing probably that they would not harm him. When the Indians entered they commenced throwing things about the premises and selecting such as they fancied. Finally, one of them went to the bellows and began to blow the fire at a rate which proved very uncomfortable to Swartwout, who was nearly strangled with the smoke and fumes of the burning charcoal, and had great difficulty in re- taining his place in the chimney. The Indian became weary of the sport after a little, or was induced by the negro to go at flee to the block-houseSj of which there were three ; one known as Fort Gumaer, another as Fort Dewitt, and the third as Fort Depuy. All who were caught out of the block-houses were murdered. They were pursued through fields and woods and shot or tomahawked. A young man named Swartwout, attempted to escape by swimming in the Neversink. Just as he gained the opposite side he was shot. Three of his brothers and his father were killed. One of the brothers reached a block-house near by and escaped. In Fort Gumaer there were but nine men, and the commander, whose name was Cuddeback, caused the women to put on men's clothes and parade around the fort with their husbands, sons and brothers, when the Indians first made their appearance and were at such a distance that they could not detect the ruse. The natives, in consequence of this stratagem, passed by the block- house at such a distance that the few shots which were fired at them were harmless. Fort Dewitt was not attacked, and the other fort was unoccupied. Most of the barns in the neighborhood were burnt and the cattle driven off. It is probable that Count Pulaski was stationed there but a few weeks or months at most.