The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

An Account of the wonderful fortitude of a young Captain, burnt by the Hurons; which is expressive of the savage and brutal behaviour of the Indians who are now destroying some of the frontier Settlements in North-America.

The Hurons who had taken this Captain prisoner and brought him to one of their villages, made him get upon a sort of stage, where they began to burn him all over his body, without any mercy, and he appeared at first as unconcerned as if he had felt nothing; but as he thought one of his companions that was tormented near him showed some marks of weakness, he discovered on this account a great uneasiness, and omitted nothing that might encourage him to suffer with patience, by the hope of the happiness they were going to enjoy in heaven, he had the comfort to see him die like a brave man.

Then all those who had put the other to death fell again upon him with so much fury that one would have thought they were going to tear him in pieces. He did not appear to be at all moved at it, and they knew not any longer in what part they could make him feel pain; when one of his tormentors cut the skin of his head all round, and pulled it off with great violence; the pain made him drop down senseless; they thought him dead and all the people went away. A little time after, he recovered from his wound; and seeing no person near him but the dead body of his companion, he takes a fire brand in both his hands, though they were all over flayed and burnt, recalls his tormentors, and defies them to approach him. They were affrighted at his resolution; sent forth horrid cries, and armed themselves, some with burning fire-brands, others with red hot irons, and fell upon him altogether. He received them bravely, & made them retreat. The fire with which he was surrounded served him for an entrenchment, and he made another with the ladders they had used to get upon the scaffold; and being thus fortified in his own funeral pile, and armed with the instruments of his punishment, he was for some time the terror of the whole village, no body daring to approach a man more than half burnt, and whose blood flowed from all parts of his body.

A false step which he made, in striving to shun a fire-brand that was thrown at him, left him once more to the mercy of his tormentors; and it need not be told they made him pay dear for the fright he had just before put them in. After they were tired of tormenting him, they threw him into the midst of a great fire, and left him there, thinking it impossible for him ever to rise again. They were deceived; when they least thought of it, they saw him armed with fire brands, run towards the village as if he would set it on fire. All the people were struck with terror, and no person had the courage to stop him; but as he came near the first cabin; a stick that was thrown between his legs threw him down, and they fell upon him before he could rise. They directly cut off his hands and feet, and then rolled him upon some burning coals; and lastly they threw him under the trunk of a tree that was burning. Then all the village came round him, to enjoy the pleasure of seeing him burn. The blood which flowed from him almost extinguished the fire, and they were no longer afraid of his efforts; but yet he made one more, which astonished the boldest; he crawled out upon his elbows and knees, with a threatening look, and a stoutness which drove away the nearest, more indeed from astonishment than fear: for what harm could he do them in this maimed condition? some time after a Huron took him at an advantage, and cut off his head.