University of Virginia Library

The next morning after the affair at the Lower
Falls, between our Green Mountain Boys and the
hired minions of Colonel Reed, a separation, as the
reader will readily remember, took place among the
former, the several individuals who had occupied a
conspicuous place in our story, departing in different
directions, and with objects as diverse as their various
destinations. Some of these individuals, still
designed to sustain a close connection with the
events we have undertaken to delineate, have been
neglected through several of our last chapters, in order
to preserve, as unbroken as possible, the chain of
the leading part of the narrative, in several scenes
we had commenced so nearly connected as to render
a break alike disagreeable to both reader and
writer. But being allowed a short respite before following
those, with whom we have just parted, we
now hasten to bestow, in the first place, some attention
on our friend Selden and his new charge, the
volatile, but not ungifted, Jessy Reed, by following
them to the destination, for which they were on the
point of embarking when we left them. This was

at Skenesboro', near the south end of the lake, so called
from the name of the proprietor of a large body of
land at this place,—Colonel Skeen, who, being not
only a wealthy land holder, but the commander of
one of the king's regiments, had here constructed a
large, strong stone house, and made it a sort of military
post, as well as the residence of his family and
various dependents. The whole of this curious establishment,
not a little resembling that of one of
the ancient feudal lords, was at this time, under the
command of Major Skene, a son of the proprietor,
the father having been some months absent, engaged
in negociations for his own aggrandizement at the
British court. It was to this place that Miss Reed
had so fearlessly undertaken a voyage in an open
skiff, with one oarsman and Selden, her volunteer
knight attendant. But a description of this voyage,
together with many circumstances which preceded
it, we will now, agreeably to a previous intimation,
allow the fair voyager to give in her own language.
And for this purpose we present the following letter,
sent by her a few days after her arrival at Skenesboro',
and received on the morning following the
events recorded in the last chapter:—