Beadle's Dime Novels No. 85: The Fugitives — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CAMPAIGN OPENED. 17 every tie to come home and protect them. Still, Congress and Connecticut (which at this time claimed jurisdiction from having sent most of the, emigrants to Westmoreland,) refused to allow the companies to depart. On learning of the state of things, the companies became nearly disorganized. Every commissioned officer but two resigned, and more than twenty- five men deserted, and hastened to the assistance of the Val- ley. Among the latter were Gershom Smithson. Finally, seven days before the battle, Congress interposed, and ordered that two companies already raised should be con-— solidated. This was intended to give the settlement some- thing over a hundred men. They were directed to march to Lancaster, and shortly after, (but too late,) to Wyoming. It soon became known that the enemy were concentrating at Newtown and Tioga, and preparing boats and canoes, whereupon, all the men in the Valley capable of bearing arms were called out and drilled. The forts became filled with women, and every company was ordered to be ready at a moment's warning. A four-pounder was in Wilkesbarre Fort, but, as there was no ball, it was kept merely as an alarm gun. The enemy, numbering four hundred British provincials, consisting of Colonel John Butler’s Rangers, a detachment of Sir John Johnson’s Royal Greens, the remainder being Tories from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, together with about seven hundred Indians, having descended the Susque- hanna from Tioga Point, landed just below the mouth of ~Bowman’s Creek, on the west side of the river, about twenty miles above the Valley. Securing their boats they marched across the peninsula, and arrived on the western mountain early on the morning of June 30th. Fort Jenkins, the upper- most fort in the Valley, was’ attacked in the morning. The garrison was small, but they fought bravely, and yielded only when literally overwhelmed. _ This incident opened the campaign. Colonel Zebulon Butler, who chanced to be at home, by common consent, assumed command of the Connecticut people. He sent out a party to bring in the dead bodies at Fort Jenkins. They were found scalped and shockingly mutilated. Two Indians near by, who were watching for any that might come to claim their friends, were both shot. One of the savages slain was comiclbooks.C@lins