Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/346

 322 HISTORY OF The beautiful valley of the Schoharie creek presented a scene of devastation, on the night of the' 17th October, not easily described. Houses, barns, and numerous stacks of hay and grain were consumed ; domestic animals lay dead every where over the fields ; a few buildings belonging to the tories had been spared, but Murphy, among others, sallying out, set fire to them in revenge. After the burning of Schoharie, this settlement ceased to be so much an object of tory vengeance, and during the years 1781 and 1782, though there were fre- quent alarms, little damage was done by the enemy. The savages appeared once in Cobleskill, burned a few buildings, killed one man and carried off five prisoners; but the body of the inhabitants had taken refuge in a fort which they had built on their return from Schoharie, in 1781, and were safe. Soon after Sir John Johnston passed through Schoharie, Murphy and his three friends, Follok, Tufts and Evans, went over the hills of Summit. Murphy, by some mishap, strayed from the rest and wandering in the woods, he at length saw an Indian skinning a deer, which he had recently killed. Murphy being unperceived, took aim and shot the Indian through the head, who reeling fell beside the deer. He then ran up, took off the Indian's scalp, and laying him over a log, placed the deer's skin over him in such a manner as to make it appear at a short distance like a large deer. This was scarcely done before he heard a rustling in the leaves a few rods off; as quick as thought, he crawled among the bushes and thick weeds near, where he could see distinctly three In- dians moving their heads about, as if doubtful of what had the appearance of a deer. Finally, one of them fired at the sup- posed deer, and rushing up, what was their chagrin at disco- vering they had shot one of their own fellows ! They gave several doleful yells to call others, and stood grinding their teeth and gesticulating wildly. Murphy, fearing that they